Golf-ball.



s. c. WORTHINGTON & w. E. REICHARD. I

GOLF BALL.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 18, I915.

1,285,877., Patented Nov. 26,1918.

21711123157 Rez'cizard. @jfik Mfg UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE C. WORTHINGTON AND WILIQIS E. REICHABD, 0F ELYRIA, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO WORTHINGTON' BALL COMPANY, OF ELYRIA, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

GOLF-BALL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Original application filed March 9, 1916, Serial No. 83,017. Divided and this application filed May 18, 1916. Serial No. 98,255.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE C. WORTH- INGTON and WILLIS E. REICHARD, both citizens of the United States. and residing at -Elyria, in the county of Lorain and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Golf-Balls; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This application is a division of our application #83017, filed March 9, 1916.

Our invention relates to improvements in golf balls, and has for its objectthe provision of a golf ball constructed with a highly resilient portion, and the provision of means to admit the operation-of all parts of the ball, including the highly resilient portion with a high degree of efliciency when struck hard blows, but to prevent the operation of the highly resilient portion at all, or if at all, with greatly reduced efiiciency when struck light blows. It is a. well known fact that where it is desired to make a full shot the ball should respond to the blow as efiiciently as possible, in order to gain the greatest distance. Under these circumstances accuracy is not so important. However, on short approaches and in putting, it is desired that the ball should be partly deadened, so as not to respond so eiiiciently to the blow. For short approaches and putts accuracy is re quired.

In our invention we provide a ball which is highly resilient when struck hard blows and but slightly resilient when struck light blows. This is best efiected by preventing the more resilient portion of the ball from being affected when the ball is struck lightly, and at the same time permitting the utilization of the full resiliency of this section when struck hard.

Other objects of our invention and the invention itself will probably be better understood from a description of an embodiment of the invention.

Figure 1 shows a section of one embodiment of our invention, and

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1. I

Referring now to the drawing and to the embodiment shown, at 3 is shown the highly resilient portion of the ball, which we prefera-bly make of jelly or some similar substance, the idea being that it shall be highly resilient. This portion may be formed of segments of a sphere, such as shown at 4 and 5, which are placed together. We prefer to place this highly resilient portion at the center of the ball as shown in the embodiment illustrated. Around the portion 3 we provide a stratum 6 which may be formed in any suitable manner. In the embodiment shown, it is formed by wrapping around the section 3 rubber tape or thread which has been impregnated with some material to deaden the same. We prefer to use a lead salt or some material which not only deadens the stratum 6, but weights the same, so as to use this stratum both to shield the highly resilient part 3 when the ball is struck light blows and to weight the ball. At 7 is shown a stratum which may be made of pure rubber thread, preferably Wound under tension, and a cover is shown at 8. The stratum 6 acts as a shield or armor about the section 3, preventing any effect upon the section 3 by light blows delivered to the ball, such as are delivered in short approaching and putting.

We do not wish to be limited to means forentirely preventing the effect of these blows upon the resilient center, as we contemplate means which will reduce the eifect of such blows so as to practically prevent any effect upon the center thereby. However, when the ball is struck hard the stratum 6 will yield, flattening out so that the full eiliciency of the resilient section 3 is realized in the long shots and even for intermediate blows which are delivered to the ball. It will be readily appreciated that by varying the thickness of the stratum 6 or the nature of the material employed, the shielding'eflect thereof may be varied to suit various conditions of use and the pleasure of various players.

We have shown this particular embodiment and these details for the purpose of better explaining our invention. It will be understood that numerous and various departures may be made from both the form and details without departing from the spirit of the invention.

We claim 1. In a golf ball, the combination of a Patented Nov. 26, 1918.

solid spherical resilient center a resilient shield about said center to protect the same from the eileot of light blows delivered to said ball, rubber tape wound around. said center and a cover on said ball.

2. In a golf ball, the combination of a jelly center, a resilient shield about said center, rubber thread or tape Wound about said shield and a cover on said ball.

3. In a golf ball, the combination or" a central part made of a highly resilient solid substance adapted to be deformed when the ball is struck hard and greatly to increase the carry of the ball when so struck, a, covering of resilient material about said center, serving to shield said central part from the efi'ect of light blows delivered to said ball, but ineilective to shield said central part from heavy blows delivered to the ball, Windings of tensioned rubber thread about said covering and a cover on said ball.

In Witness whereof we have hereunto affixed our signatures this 15 day of May,

GEORGE C. lVOltTHll IGTON. /VELLES E. REIQHARD. 

